Fitness Monday: Misc. Topics, w/Poll!

Fitness Monday is a Dailykos community series for support of health and fitness.  The more fit and healthy we are, the more we can further the causes of electing more and better Democrats, and promoting progressive ideas.  

All opinions and advice contained in this diary are strictly amateur.  

Big Sporting Event of the Day
The Boston Marathon just started.  Live coverage at the site.  

PBS aired NOVA Marathon  last night, and the web site has a review, a number of tips, and I'm not sure if you can watch the episode on line.  

Getting Started  
Get dressed, with shoes.  Look at your watch or take a timer.  Set timer for 7 minutes 30 seconds.  Walk outside your house, down your block, around the corner.  When the timer goes off, turn around and walk home.  You just walked 15 minutes!  

Clothing
The more (longer and frequency) I exercise, the pickier I get about the clothes I wear.  If I am sweating at all, I don't want a lot of cotton close to my skin.  And there are, of course, some gender differences in clothing ;-)  Exercise clothes should suit the activity, of course, and support your parts that need it, wick moisture away, and keep you comfortable.  

Women need supportive bras for exercise, and we are blessed to live in a time when many many sports bras are available.  My favorite bras for training are from Champion.  Fruit of the Loom makes a nice supportive wicking bras for everyday or shorter workouts.

Some people wear shorts with liners for exercise.  I tried those and it drove me nuts.  So I wear microfiber wicking panties with synthetic shorts.  

Socks:  socks is where I really get fanatical.  Depending on the planned mileage, I select the sock - longer workouts need better socks.  For every day, and workouts less than an hour, I really really like Fox River ATX for Women Socks.  The Fox River socks are great because the women's socks are the shape of women's feet!  (I know, novel idea).  My feet are a bit wider at the toe knuckles and narrow at the heel, and these socks were the first ones that EVER fit me!  For more than an hour, especially of walking, I want toe socks.  These toe socks - shaped for left and right feet.  Wicky.  lots of cushioning right at the balls of my feet where I get hot spots.  I have never gotten a blister wearing these socks.  

My Workouts
I am going to add 2 short walking workouts to my activities this week, and I am so excited!  I am starting to look at fall marathon schedules.  My knees are a LOT stronger, although the ITB was a bit ornery on the right side last night.  I know I have to keep up on the strength and stretching, but I think I may have worked through this problem.  

Share your workout plans - goals - questions!  Welcome to Fitness Monday!